


The Support

by softmaknae



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Brotherhood, Comrades in Arms, Fantasy, Friendship, Funny, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 23:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20455415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softmaknae/pseuds/softmaknae
Summary: Wooyoung and San have been best friends since they were young. Only recently did they start to adventure dungeons together as a team. They've gone further than most beginners, and are hoping to collect one of the ultimate titles:Minotaur slayers.





	The Support

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be only posted on Archive but I wanted friends to read it;  
therefore it's also posted on wattpad (most of my works are the same way).  
My wattpad is @minijongho if you want to find the original version, but this will be the same.  
No chapters, just one long story.
> 
> I hope you enjoy :D

It was the end of a summer’s day when the light shimmered above the lake. Two boys were standing on the bank, watching the horizon as the bluish hue of the sky was transformed into a salmon pink.

They had spent the day adventuring down in the caves that bordered their town. There were monsters there; monsters that they were given the task of destroying. Together they were stood in their gear, seeing the sun set for the last time before their most dangerous trip yet.

“You know your grandmother is going to be pissed if we get hurt, right?” Wooyoung, the younger one out of the two said, smirking at the elder.

San nodded. “I’m aware. BUt that won’t happen. We’re going to be in there together. There’s no way we’ll be hurt.” He replied with a smile. 

Wooyoung shoved San playfully. “Don’t be that cocky, man. We’re going against a minotaur. Most people don’t live to tell the tale after going down to fight one. THey only asked us to do it because we’re the only ones willing to do it.”

“I know, but everyone we’ve encountered there says we’re some of the best knights in the caves. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?” San asked.

“It does. BUt we need to be careful about this. I can only do so much to support you.” Wooyoung said, scrunching up his nose, somewhat frustrated with his friend.

“What do you think we should do then?”

Wooyoung glanced down into the water, rubbing a smooth stone within his fingers. With one flick of the wrist, he skipped the rock across the surface. It bounced and tumbled in the air about six times before sinking into the murky water. “We’ll attack tonight. We just need to get everything settled. Gather up potions and supplies, and maybe I can get Jongho to re-sharpen your blade before dinner.”

San rested his arms behind his head. “Sounds good. Mingi owes me some money after I got him ingredients for that weird serum he was trying out, so I can get any potion for cheap.”

“And since we give Jongho’s family some of our premium crops he owes us. So I’ll get right on that.” Wooyoung stated. He was turning on his heels, but San cleared his throat.

“Oh, so you’re gonna leave me to watch this sunset all alone? How rude. It might be our last one.”

Wooyoung peered over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised. “Now you’re being a bit dramatic.”

“Do you prefer cocky?” San said, laughing.

“I wouldn’t say I prefer you being cocky, but anything beats you being dramatic.” Wooyoung grinned.

The younger decided to lay beside his annoying neighbor, despite wanting to rush this quest. Both of them knew what could possibly be ahead of them, so they knew they had to enjoy the little things before they climbed down into the dungeons once more.

“It’s pretty this time of year.” San spoke calmly, his hands digging into the sand. “You remember what tomorrow is, right?”

Wooyoung pressed his lips together, frowning. “It’s your birthday.” He turned to face him. “This is a heck of a time to do this, isn’t it?”

San hummed. “While we fight, I’ll feel me getting older coursing through my blood.”

Wooyoung grumbled. “There you go again.”

San chuckled. “What? I can’t joke?”

Wooyoung pushed himself onto his feet, seeing the sun finally duck beneath the tops of the mountains miles beyond the rim of the lake. “We need to get going, San. We’re wasting precious time. If I’m correct, twilight is the best time to attack any hybrid.”

Though he got up reluctantly, San and Wooyoung began to head home, leaving the light of day behind them.

Wooyoung was troubled. They were both young adventurers, and a minotaur at this point was very risky for both of them to take on. Normally someone would need a tank, someone who can take the blows of their battle scarred mace while the more athletic man in the team finds another point of attack. Both of them were aware that they most likely have gotten lucky throughout all of their voyages, because… how could it not be? They were only 16. No one tackles an entire dungeon at such a low level. That was impossible.

Surely without his support, San would be dead by now. All of the progress they’ve made was because Wooyoung had learned support magic. He knew that he wasn’t a fighter, but San was great at it. If they ever wanted to go deeper into the dungeons, he would try and support him the best he could, and one day save his life from ending.

And without San, Wooyoung wouldn’t be here. If it wasn’t for him being so damn cocky, one of the village boys would’ve thrown him off a cliff by now. He fought those boys, even though he knew he couldn’t win. His attitude was what kept him fighting, and kept the boys punching. Wooyoung was able to recover, and he was able to help San escape from the beating.

The boys had moved away not long after that event, but Wooyoung still felt like he owed him his life. No matter how many times he’s assisted him with injuries and now missions underground, he feels like he needs to do more for his brother in arms. If only that feeling would fade away sometimes…

San and Wooyoung had such a strong love hate relationship. Sometimes Wooyoung wished he could peel himself away from the older’s side, but he couldn’t help it. It was weird being apart, and now it was pointless. They were together, most likely for the rest of their lives… and Wooyoung wouldn’t want it any other way.

\--

A few hours later, San arrived at Wooyoung’s family home, knocking on the door with a purpose. Wooyoung slipped away from his workstation to answer the desperate man at the door.

“Can you knock any louder?”

San smirked mischievously. “I sure can.” He began moving his hands to the door, but Wooyoung grabbed his closed fist. 

“Please don’t. You’re already obnoxious as it is.”

San gasped. “That’s so rude. Mingi, are you hearing him?”

Just then Mingi, the village’s main potion maker popped his head over San’s shoulder, a large smile cascading over his cheeks. “Wooyoung! Be nice1”

“Mingi? Why are you even here?”

Mingi’s grin faded. “Oh, San told me to tag along so I know which potions you guys will need for your fight.”

Wooyoung pressed his fingers onto his temples. “He should have an idea of what we’ll need. I guess he’s incapable of remembering things if I’m not there to tell you.”

San, hearing the blows Wooyoung was making at his memory whacked his best friend in the back of the head. Wooyoung retaliated by smacking him in the arm. 

“GUys, please. No bickering and battling while I’m here. I have fragile bottles in the back, I don’t need you to break my inventory again.” Mingi whined.

The bickering bros muttered under their breath insults about one another, but listened to the chemist.

Wooyoung lead them into his room, where he was studying over his spell books and battle strategy journals. Everything was laid out on his bed neatly, but what took up most of the space were notes he had taken.

San threw himself into Wooyoung’s desk chair, while Mingi set his bag down on the floor, plopping himself beside it as he started to read through what he had available.

“I have two stamina potions, three potions of regeneration, one strength potion, and four mana potions. I figured that would be what you guys will need to take on a minotaur.”

“Did you have any weakness or death potions handy?” San asked in a teasing tone. “Maybe we could use one to kill the minotaur instantly.”

“I don’t make potions with negative effects. I’ve told you this. Those can get kind of risky, and besides, I’m forbidden to learn how to make them by my dad.” Mingi said, crossing his arms. “You never listen to what I have to say, do you?”

San was fiddling with a pencil which was tossed on Wooyoung’s desk. It was covered in green paint, something that San had done when they were younger (He decided to paint everything he owned for school green. He literally dumped everything into a tub of paint and didn’t even bother to let it dry properly.). “Nope. All I know is that you owe me money.”

“Look, I’m gonna get it for you. You just-” Mingi was interrupted.

“You could give these potions to me and I’ll forget about what you owe me.” Unbelievable. San was trying to bargain for potions he could definitely afford.

“I owe you like 5 bucks. These potions together cost 70. There is no way I’m just handing them to you like that.” Mingi said, frowning. 

Wooyoung sighed, and crumpled up a paper that he was writing on. Then, he chucked it at San’s head. “Stop being difficult and pay for them, you cheap ass hoe.”

“Listen! Saving money is great. I’ll teach you how to be like me when we come back.”

“If we come back. It really looks like you aren’t taking anything we’re doing seriously, San. Did you spar with anyone today?”

San shook his head. “I can with Mingi, if he’s up for it.”

“You wield one of the sharpest swords in the village! You can’t possibly use it on m-”

“Relax, worry wart. I keep a wooden sword here if I need to beat Wooyoung up. I can use that on you.” San teased. 

Mingi had the look of fear in his eyes, but he didn’t protest against the wooden sword. Both San and Wooyoung knew that Mingi was another friend who they were close to. Mingi was quite different from them; he was more composed and serious about certain things. Sometimes he surprised them, joining in on their antics sometimes in school and maybe even hanging out with them over the weekend. He was usually busy brewing things for his dad at their shop, but whenever he could slip away, he would come to visit one of them if they were home.

Most people considered him strange, and kept a distance from him, but Mingi was a pretty kind guy. He cared for his friends and his family deeply, and could pretty much scare anyone away if he had a potion in his hand and he lowered his already deep voice. 

Wooyoung knew that Mingi would try his best to help them however he could, even if it meant being whacked around by a wooden stick for 15 minutes.

The youngest saw them off to his backyard, where everything was set up for San. Wooyoung had built it himself once they began their monster hunting careers.

Now that they were preoccupied, Wooyoung could sneak out and run next door to Jongho. Wooyoung had yet to mention the debt the blacksmith owed him because it wasn’t something Jongho was particularly proud of. But times were urgent, and as it was he’d get an ear full of complaints for what he was about to ask him.

Wooyoung firmly knocked on the solid oak door that separated the world from the Choi family forge, hoping to have gathered the attention of the strong boy hammering away at a freshly melted slab of steel.

Jongho slammed his hammer on the surface of the blistering hot metal one more time before putting it back in the forge, grumbling in frustration.

“Wooyoung. What brings you here?” Jongho asked, snatching a clean towel from a pile that was set neatly next to his anvil.

“I’m sorry to bother you this late, but I have a favor to ask of you. It’s more about the debt you owe me.”

Jongho raised his eyebrow. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”

“First, the favor of mine is to ask if you’ll sharpen San’s blade again. It’s gotten pretty dull since the last level we completed.”

Jongho waited patiently for the other request, because Wooyoung knew the first one wouldn’t be an issue. He sharpened everything from shears to swords almost every day. It wasn’t a hassle.

“Second, I was wondering if you had any new equipment. I’m not sure if they’ll suit San, but if they do... can I borrow it?”

Jongho’s expression turned sour. “You want to borrow one of my best forged daggers to that maniac?”

Wooyoung threw his hands up, knowing that Jongho could get stirred up pretty easily. “I know how it sounds, but we’re facing a boss tonight. We could really use something new, something that could possibly turn the battle onto our side pretty easily.”

He was lucky Jongho was the only one forging at the time; a request like that would leave him with his throat shredded. The Choi’s didn’t allow people to barter with them; their metal was the best out of all the villages within a 500 mile radius. Many travellers have come by to buy something of theirs, and many have left empty handed.

They’re extremely hard to persuade when it comes to their own work. Their blades were filled to the brim with magic after all.

Jongho wiped off his forehead with his towel, and draped it across his work station. “Are you sure you guys are ready for a boss? You’re so early into the game.”

Wooyoung nodded. “San wants to try it out. I have faith in our abilities, but I still want to try and find extra help.”

Jongho hummed as if he were to accept that statement. “Which boss are you guys gonna try and take down?”

“The Minotaur.”

The young metalworker’s jaw dropped. “Surely you guys aren’t that suicidal, are you?”

Wooyoung bit his lip. “I’m just supporting the cocky one. That’s all I’m good for, so you should ask him that question.”

“Speaking of San, where the hell is he? I haven’t seen him in town.”

“He’s uh... currently chasing Mingi around with a wooden stick in the back.”

Jongho snorted. “I’m not surprised.”

Just then, a shrill scream was heard in the distance. Mingi had been tackled, and Wooyoung caught a glimpse of it.

“San! It’s late, shut up! Mingi! You have the deepest voice for god’s sake, why do you scream like that?!”

Mingi scrambled onto his feet after hearing his name and immediately apologized, even if he was unable to see Wooyoung.

He sighed. “I’m dealing with idiots next door. Please give me a break, Jongie.”

Jongho narrowed his eyes at the name Wooyoung had called him, but he promptly brushed it off. “The only thing I really have to offer you is a poison blade. It’s made with a very strong venom, and it could possibly paralyze your opponent.” He walked over to a display case they had set leaning on their wall of models/ different blades they make. Carefully, he grabbed the hilt of a sword that resembled something like a katana, only with a shorter handle and wider blade.

“It won’t poison humans, so there’s no risk in that sense. Knowing San, that’s a very good thing.”

Wooyoung held his hand up to his forehead. “Don’t even get me started.”

Jongho chuckled. “I’m sure this should fit your requirements. The only thing about this is that this is my first magical sword I’ve made myself. I’d really like it back.”

Wooyoung’s heart dropped at his words. “Well, Jongho, I really can’t guarantee that it’ll make it back-“

Jongho’s eyes turned from his usual brown to a stern red. “If this doesn’t make it back to me, and you come back  _ alive,  _ you’ll have a real problem on your hands, Got it?”

Wooyoung’s lip began to tremble. He nodded vigorously. “Yes sir.”

Jongho’s face went from mad to happy within seconds. “I hope it works out for you guys. I’m rooting for you!”

Wooyoung’s surprised he’s friends with someone who’s this drastic with his changes in emotion. He wondered why, but then he remembered he used to help Jongho out in school. The boy looked up to him in academics, and that’s why they became friends originally. So he could snag a tutor. He definitely didn’t need help anymore, as he was more advanced than people in his year.

He was proud of who Jongho was becoming. He’s a good friend.

Wooyoung made sure to leave a written note explaining why Jongho’s prized possession was not on it’s shelf within the workshop if his parents ever noticed. He needed to tread carefully with his family, and he made sure that he did everything right by them.

He stepped back into his home only to be greeted by San holding Mingi in a chokehold half-naked.

Wooyoung didn’t even bother asking, he just breezed past them back into his room, where he started to pack his things for the road. His books, Mingi’s potions, Jongho’s blade (which was in a nice, padded case), bandages, and extra charms known to boost stamina and mana output of the carrier.

San strode in with Mingi slithering in behind him into Wooyoung’s room once again. Mingi looked battered, with little scrapes on his cheek and on his arms. Bruises were already starting to form in certain visible areas, and he hoped that San had been civil with his skinny and not at all fit for battle friend.

“Mingi, when I finish speaking with San, I’ll grab you some ice. Okay?”

He nodded glumly, slumping onto Wooyoung’s bed, setting himself up to stare at his enchanted ceiling.

“San, what happened to your shirt?”

San shrugged. “It got ripped.”

How in the world did his shirt get ripped. He was sparring with someone who doesn’t have a weapon to fight back.

Wooyoung sighed. “Right. Grab a shirt from my closet. As long as you have the right armor, you should be fine with any undershirt.”

“Where were you?”

“I was talking to Jongho about our situation. He hooked you up with a new dagger to use.”

San’s eyes grew wide. “No way! There’s no way he would just give that to you without any payment.”

“Well, if we lose it, we’ll be paying with our own lives.” Wooyoung mumbled under his breath. He didn’t think San heard. “He was more than happy to loan it to us.”

“Something tells me he just did this for you, not me. He refers to me as a reckless asshole, so there’s no way in hell he would entrust me with another blade.” San said.

He’s not wrong.

“This one is his first magical one, and it should assist us in our fight. He understands that I won’t be the one wielding it, so in some way he does have a little faith in you to do what you’re supposed to with it.”

San gulped. “What kind of magic’s in it?”

“Poison.” Wooyoung replied, removing old supplies from his bag to make room for new ones.

“That’s so-“

“You can’t poison yourself or any human with it.”

San’s small smirk faded. “Oh.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “It would be good if you got used to handling it while I finish packing.” He said, tossing him the dagger. “Be careful.”

San ran off to practice, and finally, Wooyoung was able to focus on his own abilities for the time being.

Mingi assisted him by listing what they needed and what might be handy to have. Over the span of 30 minutes, they checked off boxes and scribbled things out. They only needed what was necessary, and those were the only things he was going to allow to be brought.

“I think you guys should be good with what you have,” Mingi said, pressing a fresh plastic bag of ice to his bruised forearm. “Is there anything else I can do before I head home?”

“Nah, I think we’re set.” Wooyoung quickly relayed everything scribbled in the list before flicking his attention to the potion maker. “Thank you, Mingi”

Mingi gave him a goofy smile. “Anytime.”

Wooyoung and Mingi stood in front of the youngest’s entry door, debating whether or not anything else should be said before the other departs.

Suddenly, Mingi grabbed Wooyoung, pulling him into a soft hug. “You and San take care, okay? I’d like to see both of you back in one piece.”

Wooyoung was a bit taken aback, but he gave the chemist a warm smile. “We will.”

“Good luck.” Mingi bowed once more as a way of saying thank you before turning and hiking towards his home across town. Wooyoung stopped watching him only when he started to disappear behind the thick berry hedges that lined the streets.

They were already prepared and ready to go. All Wooyoung needed was a boost of confidence, but he was sure San would be able to supply it. When they’re together, they’re an unstoppable force. They just had to hope that they were unstoppable enough for one of the strongest monsters in their area.

~~

Deep down in the caverns they went, destroying every single common monster they could find in a desperate attempt to warm up their bodies for the battle that lay ahead.

San was slashing through shadow wolves like butter, while Wooyoung focused on aiding him in anyway he could, including back up for when he got too carried away with himself and was surrounded.

Lucky for him, his supporter is also equipped with some offensive spells. Otherwise he would’ve been dead before they even started.

They made it through the cavern in record time, and were about to enter the large tunnel that lead to the crystal minotaur. But something stopped Wooyoung in his tracks.

“San, are you sure about this? Do you really want to try to take this on?”

“Of course I want to try. There’s nothing wrong with trying, is there?”

“I suppose not, but in this situation ‘trying’ could lead to death.”

“I’m aware of that, Wooyoung. But I can’t back down on something like this when there’s so much at stake here. You and I both need the rewards that come out of this.” San said.

He had a point. Defeating the beast could award them with enough gold to last about two years for their somewhat poor families. It could take both of their parents out of debt with the city. They could finally be free after years of being confined by money and their village’s government.

Not only could it help in that sense, but it could help fuel their expeditions in the future. Both of them desperately wanted to follow this dream of theirs that they’ve had since they were little. By doing this, villages would grow safer, and the amount of casualties caused my monsters will decrease tenfold.

There was a catch, though. Not only could the creature kill them, but if they couldn’t finish them off, they would be forced to leave the village as their houses would be claimed by the government.

They didn’t have much of a choice. Wooyoung was starting to wonder if it would even matter. If they destroyed it, there was still a chance that the gold they would receive would pay off the debt fully.

Overall it was extremely risky, but it was something that they both needed to do. In order to save their families and their businesses. In order to go back home to Mingi for another hug, assuring him that his best friends weren’t leaving anymore. In order for Jongho to not beat the shit out of them.

Wooyoung took a deep breath. “Then let’s do it.”

~~

The two of them trekked down the narrow tunnel, ready to face their biggest foe yet. Wooyoung was fiddling with his satchel filled with potions, trying to dig out a stamina potion.

“San, you’re gonna need to drink these before we get close to that.” Wooyoung stated, tossing him the glowing vial.

San hummed a response before chugging it down, making a sound of disgust afterward. “These things taste awful.”

“No one said they taste like apple.” Wooyoung said, rolling his eyes. “And I can assure you that that potion isn’t as bad as the strength ones.”

“When do these wear off?”

“These are the top of the line potions, so it’s unlikely to wear off while we’re in battle.”

Both of them paused when they heard a massive roar coming from the opening they were approaching. Wooyoung’s stomach dropped. The roar was unlike anything they had ever heard. It was loud and laced with pure rage, echoing down the tunnels. He cupped his hands over his ears, wincing slightly.

San gritted his teeth, turning to face the dark cave where the monstrous abomination was summoning crystals, it covering the edges of the entrance. The crystals were tinted blue, the color almost luminescent. It lit up large stalactites blocking their path, clawing through the rock like a mole. “I guess we have some time before we get there. Do you have anything that could help us destroy those?”

Wooyoung was at a loss for words. He could sense the minotaur’s magic power. It was above anything he could ever have imagined. Being where he was, there was little to no way he was going to be able to hurt the beast. Maybe they should rethink this.

“Wooyoung?”

Wooyoung jumped. “Yes?”

“Can you destroy the stalactites? THey’re in our way.”

“U-Uh yeah I can but San, we really need to rethink this-”

“Not now, Wooyoung. We need to do this.”

“I know we do, but I can sense his power. He’s way too strong.”

“Maybe for you. But now that I have this blade, we’ll be able to take him down.”

“San, listen to me-”

“Which spell can you use that will blow those up?”

“San-”

“I’m ready to fight, why aren’t you?”

“Because I’m terrified! You can’t feel his mana; his magic flowing through his veins. You can’t possibly tell that he is on a completely different level than us!”

San glared at his support mage. “What are we supposed to do about it? We can’t walk away now, Wooyoung. This isn’t only a way to pay off debt, but it will make us stronger. You can do this. Don’t be carried away by how much magic you feel out of that thing, just focus on your spells and I’m confident that you and I can do this. As long as we’re together, nothing can stop us.” San was always good at encouraging, but this was a different level of encouragement.

Wooyoung, having gained a little bit of courage from his best friend’s words, sighed. “I just wanted to tell you this will be risky.”

“I know that. BUt I believe in you and your strength. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. So we need to do this together. It’ll be hard but I know we’ll be able to beat this thing. Have a little faith. Statistics don’t mean anything if we have a strategy that could surely throw our opponent off.”

Wooyoung didn’t know what to say. He believed in him. This was the first time he had admitted that Wooyoung was the reason why he didn’t die a completely idiotic death.

Wooyoung smiled. “You’ve got me there.” San showed a big goofy smile back, and now Wooyoung had faith that they could truly do this. All they needed to do was trust each other.

The mage pulled out one of his spellbooks, reading through the index before flipping through pages rapidly. HIs finger landed on an explosive spell that could help break

Deep breath. He adjusted his stance, so that his book was in one hand, and his hand was fully stretched out, pointed at the obstacle they were facing. He bit his lip, before chanting out the words:

“Firebolt.” 

Instantly, flames crept over his arm, wrapping around like a snake strangling prey. Fire shot out of his palm like lightning, engulfing the end of the tunnel with a steaming blue aura. At once, the rock in range of the spell disintegrated within seconds, the rubble piling onto the ground like a fine dust. The flames swept through the original position of the stalactites and burnt the dense crystal surrounding the entrance of the clearing, scorching the surface and leaving a black stain as the fire receded backward, nearly disappearing into thin air.

Wooyoung breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his magic was able to assist them, and was able to crack the magic filled crystal with ease.

It wasn’t an enormously powerful spell, but due to the deep concentration Wooyoung was pressing into it, it burned through the rocky floor to bedrock, something that had never happened before.

San screamed loudly in celebration, trying to figure out what the hell happened. “I thought- They were just- What even- Wooyoung! That’s awesome! The last time you cast that it only broke the tips off of the rocky monuments. That was infinitely more powerful.”

Wooyoung stared at San’s forehead; one of his eyebrows was singed from the fire he had put out. He didn’t have the heart to tell him what he had done, he just eyed it a little longer before looking at his spell book again. “I was able to upgrade it, I guess that’s how it works. The only downside is that it takes a little longer to cast, and takes more mana from me.” The amount of mana he could hold was far more than any other mage at this level, so he wasn’t truly worried about it at the moment, Adrenaline was rushing through him; he wanted to face this now more than ever.

San’s inner kid calmed down after he explored the damage that had been done. “Are you ready?”

Wooyoung simply nodded. He felt like he could run laps around the minotaur at the moment; so he was ready more than he’ll ever be.

When they both saw the Minotaur, they froze.

It was gigantic. Bigger than they had ever imagined. One of the hooves on the minotaur’s foot was bigger than both of them and thensome.

How were they going to go on about this?

_ Wooyoung,  _ he said to himself.  _ Focus on the strategy you came up with. It’s based on every research book you could find about their weaknesses. It will work. _

The minotaur’s eyes landed on both of them, the red glowing in its irises. It snorted at the smell of us, air steaming out of his nose before he finally reacted. He cast a trail of crystal to form below the two of them, soaring up from the ground like daggers, the edges jagged and deadly.

The two knights glanced at each other, making sure they both had the same idea.

San leaped out of the way, barreling to the right side of the beast, avoiding the fist coming down on their original position. Wooyoung was frozen by the amount of magic heading his way, but he was able to whisper a spell that grants the caster speed before lunging out of the way onto the gravelly floor of the clearing.

Wooyoung scrambled onto his feet, slinging his satchel behind his back, running away to try and get some sort of higher ground in the cave. “San! Stick to the strategy!” He yelled out, spotting a small cliff in the edge of the cave that he could possibly climb up. 

On the other side of the monster, he could hear San screaming out battle cries, trying to distract the beast as Wooyoung got himself settled to start performing his support magic.

The beast’s attention shifted to San, the minotaur letting out an angry moo before crashing his fists onto the ground, causing everything to shake beneath them.

Wooyoung, who was trying to climb up onto the rocks sticking out of the side of the room, crawling up loose boulders to get up to the ledge. The shaking only caused him struggle to hang on as everything trembled beneath him. “Don’t let him do that! I’m climbing!”

“Sorry!” San screamed, finally darting into Wooyoung’s line of sight.

Wooyoung cursed under his breath before reaching his arm out, chanting a spell that creates weightlessness in the target. San soared upward, screaming out of surprise, but he nodded at his friend, who was clinging onto the rocks and went off, jumping up to the minotaur’s side, slashing his dagger just through the surface of the minotaur’s skin.

He roared at the feeling of San’s magic dagger digging into his side, and swatted the area with his hands. San quickly pulled out the knife and pushed away, falling back slightly as the minotaur began to attack him directly.

Wooyoung grunted and continued to climb, but with urgency. His spells worked on San, and San was used to them, but they only last a few minutes at a time. His weightlessness was useful towards someone as swift as San, but it wouldn’t be useful if it ran out and he was in mid air.

He managed to get himself onto the ledge within the minute, and began to focus some of his offensive spells onto the creature. His magic flow depended on what stance he was in while casting, so his best chance of doing something to the creature was facing their opponent, arm outstretched to target him, while his other arm hung back by his side. Sliding his legs further apart, his knees locked beneath him, and he took a sharp breath.

“Energy Flux!” He shouted loudly, already feeling the bolts of lightning flowing through him. On command, a large flash of light escaped from within him, attacking the Minotaur’s skin within milliseconds. 

The beast gasped, not expecting a blow from the side of the scrambling mage. He was completely focused on targeting San that he forgot about the support.

The spell charged like a gun, humming as his hand began to glow, signalling that the spell was ready to fire again. He pulled the trigger, and it struck the beast on the bicep.

The minotaur’s nostrils flared as he turned to face the mage, ready to strike him off the platform he was stood on.

San yelled loudly, jabbing his dagger into the monster’s leg, trying to grab his attention once more.

Having two people to fight at once while they’re both on different sides of them… it’s overwhelming. That’s exactly what they planned to do. Overwhelm the beast. Attack from different sides. Try to find a weak spot. San’s supposed to keep the attention of the beast on him, since he’s the one wielding blades and melee weapons. Wooyoung’s providing support, as he usually does, but with a mixture of offensive spells to keep the minotaur confused.

Only they knew that this worked for smaller bosses. They weren’t sure if it would even work. Higher level usually means they’re more clever than the normal monster people encounter.

Just then, the minotaur roared, sending crystal lines snaking through the ground, attacking both of them simultaneously. They slithered side to side, creating a trail of spikes towering taller than Wooyoung. While the other focused on the floor and knocking San off his feet, the other crawled up the vertical wall, smashing the platform Wooyoung was on to pieces in seconds. Wooyoung felt a spike stab his shoulder as he leaped for some sort of surface he could land on for the time being, blood beginning to seep through his clothes and run down to his hand.

He bit down on his tongue to avoid crying out, clinging onto a carved pocket on the wall of the cave.

“Wooyoung! Are you okay?” San was in view of him after the attack, his dagger unsheathed and covered in the creature’s blood.

Wooyoung managed to nod. He was terrified of letting go, not knowing what was beneath him. He couldn’t afford to hurt his legs. 

“Do you need help?” 

Wooyoung guessed he had seen the blood. He was hanging on with both arms, but it was extremely painful with the gash in his shoulder to hold on. “No, I can handle this. You focus on not getting crushed.”

Wooyoung watched San dodging blow after blow, only getting a slash or two in before having to sprint away from most crystal formations.

His arm was searing with pain, but he could only endure it for the time being so he could think about what he was going to do. He didn’t plan for this. 

Using his bad arm, he chanted a spell to cushion his fall so he could drop down without getting harmed. The spell created a hole within the crumbling cliffside, and covered the ground with a spongy like material. It was a spell usually used on a construction site for certain things, but he needed it. He thanked whatever god there was for those textbooks he borrowed from the library, and proceeded to fall into the pit he created.

Luckily the cushion worked great, and he finally found his footing on the ground below him, ready to go once more.

He grabbed a regeneration potion and drank it, ignoring the taste in his mouth as he started to run around, trying to find San.

“San!” He brushed off the feeling of his skin binding back together due to the regeneration potions. He was desperate, he needed to aid his friend.

“I’m here!” San was rolling back onto his feet after being toppled over, holding his dagger horizontally in front of his torso. He glanced over his friend for injuries. “You’re okay?”

“Regeneration potion.”

San and Wooyoung were used to speaking to each other while diving to avoid crystal projectiles and rivers that were forming the more they spoke.

“So, this bastard doesn’t go down easily. I’ve slashed him with this blade but nothing has happened. I’d probably have to go for some more vital areas, such as the chest or the gut. But I haven’t had the chance.” San explained, throwing himself to the left as the minotaur lashed out more crystals out of his hand. “I guess you were wrong about fighting a monster at twilight.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “Now is not the time to joke!”

San laughed. “Okay. Then help me!”

Wooyoung and San took turns sending blows to their opponent, one slicing and one using a variety of elemental spells.

“This isn’t working!” San shouted, himself breathing heavy. He was getting a little tired; Wooyoung could sense it.

Wooyoung was getting tired himself; his mana was depleted, but not entirely.

They’ve already spent an hour trying to beat this boss, but they’ve had no luck. San was bleeding on the side of his face, on his torso and on one of his legs, while Wooyoung was just trying to trudge along with the mana that was left. His regeneration potion was still in effect, but it was exhausting his body with every scrape he got.

“I know it isn’t, but I don’t have enough mana to turn this around.” Wooyoung admitted. “I’ve already used up most of the potions.”

San and Wooyoung shared a concerned look with each other. Both of them were panting, struggling to catch their breath before the minotaur swiped his hand at them again.

It was only a matter of time before they wouldn’t be able to run from the attacks anymore.

A few minutes later, Wooyoung was hiding behind some cover to drink another mana potion, when he heard a blood curdling scream, followed by the sound of something slamming against the wall.

It was San. He knew right away.

His stomach dropped. “San!” He screamed, ditching everything he had draped around him and running towards where he heard him. The minotaur was raging on, stomping his hooves into the stone, cheering as if he had just won the battle.

San was in front of the bull, slumped over and bloodied. Wooyoung barely recognized him from afar, but he needed to get to him. Fast.

Wooyoung was angry. Beyond angry. He wanted to destroy this boss to a pulp.

No one ever hurts his best friend like that. No one.

He was beginning to see red. He didn’t care what he did anymore, all he wanted was this bastard of a boss dead.

Something within him stirred. Maybe it was the mana potion messing with his stomach, but it definitely felt unusual. He felt lighter somehow, like he was in fact weightless. He hadn’t cast any spell since Air Barrage, and that was certainly a while ago in battle time.

Mana surged through him, higher amounts than he’d ever had before. This warmness rose through his limbs, and he wasn’t sure what it was. It was like he was being filled with so much energy that it was overwhelming, but at the same time it wasn’t. It felt good within him; it felt like that’s how it should be. His vision went from blurry to clear, and that’s when he knew he was able to take on anything.

“Let’s go, Minotaur.” Wooyoung screamed, grabbing a stone from beside him and chucking it at his torso. “I’ll fight you alone.”

Meanwhile, in the corner of his eye, he could sense a healing sphere forming around San. San was completely unconscious, and had a crystal sticking out from inside of his chest. As far as Wooyoung was concerned, he might even be gone. But the green circle of light surrounding him, it reassured him that he’ll most likely be okay.

The only thing that was bothering him is that; he didn’t cast it. He was busy trying to fight this beast one on one. Where did it come from?

Wooyoung darted away from where San was slouched to a part of the cave that was practically untouched by their battle; and coaxed it over to him. He began to cast a light spell; something that he had never used before to hopefully do some sort of damage to the monstrosity.

“Ancestor’s Light!” He sang, feeling the sensation of light and dark flooding through his veins. A luster began to form around the palm of his hand, something odd that he’d never seen before. The purple color was unsettling, but Wooyoung didn’t care. He wanted it dead.

Anything could happen to him, but he just didn’t care.

Just then, a continuous beam of energy burst out of his hand, not only nearly blinding the caster, but creating a large hole into the minotaur’s skin. It was as if he could almost see the beam burn through him, but he believed that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Surely he wasn’t that powerful that he could shred through flesh that easily. Especially since his was armored. Wooyoung closed his palm, the light retracting back within him like a bolt of lightning.

The minotaur cried out in pain, grabbing his shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Black blood was gushing out of him, and it wouldn’t stop.

That sight alone made Wooyoung feel accomplished. But he had no plans on stopping there.

“Fireblade.”

On command, fire engulfed his arm like fire bolt, only now he was armed with a fire sword. He had no fear. He would beat this bull. He had no remorse. No emotion. No anything. He had nothing but a demon’s mindset to destroy.

A long time ago, something happened to him that resulted in the same thing. He was fighting off a creature who was hurting some of his family’s cattle. Seeing one dead and plucked clean of it’s meat sent Wooyoung into a rage that he had never truly forgotten. 

That night, he killed everything in that forest. It’s almost like he lost complete control over himself, and was able to perform things he wouldn’t ever be able to do normally.

His parents didn’t know what that meant for him. They had never experienced that with him before. All they told him is that hopefully he’ll grow out of it. And it hadn’t happened since that very moment with the minotaur. He hadn’t allowed himself to get to that tipping point, all because he saw how terrified his mom was when she saw him.

HIs eye had turned from it’s normal shade of brown to a light blue, and the pupil was shaped like a star, not a circle. They didn’t know what it could be, but they neer tried to figure out what could cause it. They just let it be.

Recently, he had done some research to look into whatever he experienced as a child. He looked into an endless amount of books, but only one had an answer.

There were once demons here, way before their time. They breeded alongside humans, and created what was known to be half demon half human hybrids. They weren’t any different besides having a heightened amount of endurance, stamina, and magical ability. And they had a tendency to go rampant if they ever experienced something traumatic. The only way they could identify them from normal humans was the discolored eye and deformed pupil.

Now, this boss had severely hurt his best friend. Now… he was going to die.

Wooyoung wasted no time. He sprinted up to the Minotaur’s legs, leaping upwards and draining the blade into the hybrid’s thighs. He summoned a large amount of heavy weight spells to drag him downward, with the blade still imbedded into the bull’s thigh. He drew a long gash as he dropped in altitude.

The monster unleashed an inhuman sound, grasping his leg as he toppled onto the floor with a loud thud.

Wooyoung didn’t let that stop him. His fire sword disappeared from his hand, because he had another idea.

“Infernal Frenzy.”

A ball of flames materialized in his hand. It was something he could wrap his hands around, and hold despite the spikes riddled on it. He smiled out of pure satisfaction before tossing it onto the minotaur’s stomach. The spikes sunk into the minotaur’s stomach, and was hooked into his skin. The Minotaur’s nostrils flared as he watched Wooyoung snap his fingers. The ball not only exploded, but spikes shot outward, piercing ever inch of the minotaur’s torso with 5 inch metal shards.

The bull cried out again, beginning to struggle to breathe. Wooyoung was sure that one of the spikes had perforated a lung. That was what he hoped to happen.

He had one more thing planned. With a devilish smile, he pressed his hand onto the hoof of the minotaur, and said: “Obliterate.”

Everything the caster presses his hand on begins to turn to stone, and then disintegrates.

One by one, each limb morphed into a black stone, and it reminded him of molten lava that had been cooled. It only took a few moments before the minotaur’s body was engulfed by the stone, and within a blink of an eye, his body vanished into ash. He should’ve felt sorry for making the minotaur go through something as terrifying as it was without any mercy, but he didn’t care. No remorse.

It was finally dead.

Wooyoung stumbled backward, unable to believe that he had actually done it. His mind wasn’t as hardwired as it was moments ago to destroy; it was more focused on San. Now that the threat was gone, San was the only thing he was worrying about.

He dashed over to San, who still had a healing sphere placed around him. Certain cuts were healed, like the one on his face and torso. It was likely that he had probably broken some bones, and had some deep lacerations that wouldn’t heal that easy with such a weak spell.

Then, he finally got a glimpse of how this circle came to be.

There was another adventurer, hidden among the rubble of a previously collapsed column, reading healing spells with one of his arms extended toward San.

Wooyoung was thankful, but was wary of the new traveler. He approached him. “Who are you?”

The boy fell backward, scooting backward with his hands over his head. “Don’t hurt me! I was just trying to help.”

Wooyoung took a moment to register what he was saying, and cocked his head. “That’s not the question I asked. Who are you?”

The mage glanced up at Wooyoung’s eyes, his lip trembling more and more as every second passed. “I’m Yeosang. Kang Yeosang.”

Wooyoung blinked. “Kang Yeosang.” He spun around on his heels, repeating that name in his head a few times before nodding. “Thank you.”

That was definitely an answer he wasn’t expecting. “Thank you?”

Wooyoung didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his attention to San. San’s wounds were severe; if he wasn’t healed soon he’d die.

He could see Yeosang scrambling onto his feet and retreating back down the tunnel the duo entered from, escaping from the weird man who just defeated a minotaur single handedly who had a blue eye.

He didn’t blame him.

“San, I’m going to help, okay? Just hang on.” Wooyoung managed to wedge the crystal out, tossing it beside him and working on healing the wound.

He concentrated so intensely that he didn’t hear Yeosang and another person inch closer to him. Yeosang joined him, whispering chants and pressing his hand on San’s shoulder.

Once he realized that there was another man next to them, observing, he nudged Yeosang. “Who’s he? The one behind me.”

“Oh, that’s Seonghwa. W-We adventure together.” Yeosang stammered.

He could physically hear the tension flowing through the older boy’s bones.

“I can assure you, Seonghwa, I am not a threat. Can you stop being so tense?”

Seonghwa crossed his arms. “How can I trust you when you’re not one of us?”

Wooyoung laughed dryly. “Do you think I just defeated something like that because I wanted to? My friend, a human, was in trouble. All I want to do is make sure he doesn’t die. Besides, I’m mostly human.”

Seonghwa didn’t respond. He just watched as he and his partner work.

“Can you fetch me my satchel? I have a regen potion in there. He’s going to need it.” Wooyoung asked, pointing to where he left it further into the clearing. It was right on the floor where he threw it before losing it.

“Why should I-”

“Y’know, you shouldn’t mess with me right now.” Wooyoung snapped, spinning around to face him. “You don’t want to end up like that minotaur, right?”

Seonghwa gulped, and rushed over to his satchel. He brought it back in lightning speed.

Wooyoung reached his arm out behind him, and Seonghwa placed it into his hands. “Thank you.” 

He fiddled through his bag, and grabbed the potion and a wrap around bandage. “Alright. I have an idea that will help save you the mana and time. All I need is your cooperation. Okay?”

Both of the strangers nodded.

“Okay. I’m going to give him this potion. I’m glad he’s sleeping because he’ll despise this taste. But anyway, after that, I’ll need you to help me wrap up his wound on his stomach. I just need someone to lift him up while I apply it. Does that sound good?”

“Yeosang will help you.”

Yeosang’s eyes grew wide. “Wait, why me? I’m healing! You’re doing nothing!”

“Because I’m busy making sure you don’t die to this thing.”

Wooyoung chuckled. “With that attitude, you might be the one in trouble. While Yeosang is healing up other wounds, you’ll help me prop him up.”

“No, I won’t-”

In one swift motion, Wooyoung was in Seonghwa’s face, staring deep into his eyes. “I’m not here to hurt anyone. I just need help saving my best friend.”

Seonghwa almost fell back, but he managed to keep his ground. He didn’t say anything, he just stood there, frozen. 

Wooyoung sighed, and kneeled back next to San. “I also didn’t choose to be this way, so before you talk down about me, make sure you know the damn facts. I’m human. I just have some demon genes that passed down. My parents are both human. So shut the hell up.”

Yeosang was still healing away, probably afraid of what might happen if he stopped. “Yeosang, you can stop for now. I don’t want you to drain your mana. If you’re out here practicing, then you’ll need it.” He was getting prepared to make San swallow the potion, even though it wouldn’t be easy. Forcing a potion down this man’s throat was like having a deathwish. He’ll wake up and spit it out (He knew from experience). “Stand back, just in case he magically wakes up and wants to hurl.”

Wooyoung gently opened San’s mouth, placing the vial inside, tilting his head back so he could swallow it.

And to his surprise, San remained unconscious.

“That’s surprising, but anyway. Seonghwa, I’m going to start applying a bandage.”

Seonghwa without saying a word circled San and started to push him upwards from his shoulders so San would sit up straight. As carefully as Wooyoung could, he spun the tight fabric around San’s waist up to his stomach, making sure that it was bandaged well enough for him to heal without worrying about infection. He pinned it in place, and sat back to observe what he had done.

“That should be fine for now.” Wooyoung felt a little lightheaded. His energy was draining from him. He was returning to normal. “Okay, I need to make this quick. One, I need you two to promise me you won’t tell San about this.” Wooyoung pointed to his eye, which was still very blue and very real.

Seonghwa and Yeosang glanced at each other before nodding. “We promise.”

“Second, thank you. Thank you for helping me with him. If I would’ve lost him… I’m not sure what I would do…”

“It’s nothing, really. Yeosang likes to help people, even if he doesn’t know their names.”

Wooyoung laughed. “That sounds like a friend of mine. I’m Wooyoung. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I was kind of preoccupied.”

“Why are you telling us now?”

Wooyoung’s head was spinning. He was 99% sure his eye was turning back to brown now, which meant he was close to losing everything he gained. He was exhausted, and this state only gave him temporary abilities; ones that leave as soon as the threat is done with. It was getting harder to breathe. Yep, he was done for. He felt sweat start to form on his forehead, and an ache began to spread through his chest to his legs. Damn, maybe he took on more damage than he thought. Oh well.

Wooyoung grimaced, finding it harder to manage his speech. “In case I pass out.”

Right as he finished that sentence, he blacked out.

~~

San awoke to a man kneeling in front of him, his back facing him. He was telling someone to wake up, while another man put his hands on the person’s chest.

“Wooyoung!”

San shot up at the sound of his name. “Wooyoung-” Then, he cried out in pain, pressing down on his stomach, which now had a bandage wrapped around his torso.

The man turned around, wide eyed. “Seonghwa, the other one’s awake.”

The one that’s named Seonghwa turned around, staring at San before looking back at his friend. “What the hell?”

“What’s wrong? Where’s Wooyoung?”

“He’s here, but he just passed out. He passed out and you woke up.”

“This is some strange shit.”

San pressed his hand onto his forehead, unsure if he was truly awake or not. “What happened?”

The other boy stood up, leaving Wooyoung’s side to come to his. “Are you still hurting? I can heal anything that irritates you too much.”

San was surprised by that response. “Uhh… No, I’m good. It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He managed to sit up on his own, resting his hand on his stomach. “Does he have any injuries?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t seen anything. I’m pretty sure he’s just exhausted. He doesn’t have an ounce of mana left in him, and after healing you, he must’ve took it too far.”

San hummed in reply, knowing that Wooyoung’s a little too smart to do that to himself. THen, he noticed something. “Wait a minute… where’s the minotaur?”

“Minotaur?” Seonghwa looked surprised to hear that beast’s name comes out of his mouth. “There was no minotaur here.”

The other shook his head. “No, there was. Wooyoung managed to beat it.”

San choked. “By himself?”

The boy scratched his neck nervously. “Yeah, he managed to do it while I was healing you. I don’t know how…”

“Are you serious? My little Wooyoungie was able to do that without me? We had barely made a dent in him…” San bit his lip, lost in thought. “Maybe he’s stronger than I thought.”

Seonghwa and the guy glanced at each other, but didn’t say anything.

San struggled to get onto his feet, but managed to hold his balance. “Well, we’ve gotta figure out what we wanna do with that once we get back.”

“San, I don’t think you should stand with those injuries-”

“Relax, worry wart. I’ll be fine.”

“The name’s Yeosang, and no you won’t. Let us help you.” Yeosang got up to his feet as well, holding San’s arm gently, while Seonghwa draped Wooyoung’s bag over his shoulder.

“What are you doing with that?”

“I’m helping. We’ve decided on taking you home.”

“Home? But I’m fine!”

Yeosang pinched San.

“Ow!”

“See you’re not fine. We’re helping, end of story.”

San frowned. “First of all, I need to grab that sword. I need to return it or else I’ll get my friend murdered. Second, I just met you. Why are you so willing to help me get him back home?”

Yeosang sighed. “We felt bad. We made a judgement about Wooyoung when we shouldn’t have.”

“Did you make him cry? If you did, I won’t hesitate to rip you to shreds.” San threatened.

Seonghwa and Yeosang both put their hands up, trying to calm him down. “No no no no no. He didn’t cry, I promise. He was just a little upset. We’re both really sorry, so we wanted to make it up to him and to you.” Seonghwa said, throwing the satchel from his side to face his back. “Do you really need that sword? It’s glowing.”

“It’s a magic sword. Just… don’t prick yourself with it, okay?” San told him. Seonghwa picked it up by it’s handle, swishing it around a few times before handing it back to San. “Also, can I have his satchel? Everything is in there, and he’ll hate if I lose it.”

Seonghwa shrugged and took it off, helping San sling it over his head.

He figured that Wooyoung had hidden the gold he received in the satchel. He didn’t want a person he barely knew handling it.

“Thank you. Now, are you carrying him?” He asked Seonghwa, who was already getting down closer to him so he could scoop him up in his arms. Seonghwa’s expression read like ‘Dude, really? I’m doing what I can.’ “Okay, thank you. You know where the village is, right?”

Yeosang nodded. “We just moved there, so yes.”

San smirked. “Oh, so you’re fresh meat? Hmm. Maybe you guys should hang out with us sometime. We know the blacksmith and potion guy, so maybe we can get discounts for you.”

Seonghwa perked up at the sound of ‘discounts’. “Really now?”

San nodded. “Mingi’s a strange one but he’s pretty easy to work with. So if you want a specific potion, he’s your man. Jongho however… You’ll need to talk to Wooyoung. He hates me.”

“Interesting.”

Yeosang, San, and Seonghwa headed out of the tunnel and back into the caverns, making their way back up to the surface. San knew that Wooyoung wasn’t extremely heavy, so he wasn’t too worried about a built guy carrying him. He was more focused on getting home to Mingi. Mingi was the only one nearby that also dealt with wounds, so he was definitely a keeper.

They didn’t speak much on their way back, but they occasionally asked for tips about the dungeon they had pretty much conquered. San’s cocky ass always found a way to remind them that they beat the living shit out of every monster that lives and breathes in those caves before answering any questions they had.

Needless to say, they stopped asking questions after a short amount of time.

They reached San’s place in no time. He knocked on the door, expecting his parents to answer, but they didn’t. Instead, Mingi answered.

“Mingi? What the hell-”

San couldn’t even finish his sentence. Mingi hugged the shit out of San, not even bothering to notice the various cuts he was sporting all around his body.

“Mingi. Mingi. I need you to let go. I-It hurts.” San winced, and Mingi immediately let go, apologizing at lightning speed.

“I’m so sorry I just missed you guys so much. We were worried sick.” Mingi’s eyes landed on Wooyoung, who was dangling in some random person’s arms. “Is that Wooyoung?”

San nodded. “Mingi, do you have any of your supplies here to help with him?”

“With him? I’m more concerned about you.”

Yeosang cleared his throat. “Wooyoung and I managed to heal him, so his wounds should only be superficial.”

Mingi raised an eyebrow, but nodded in understanding. He turned around, heading towards San’s bedroom. “San, can I use your room?”

“That’s fine with me.”

The chemist rushed Seonghwa and Wooyoung over to his room, disappearing from his sight. Though San was sure Wooyoung was just passed out, he was hoping that Mingi could hook him up with some remedy that might make him feel more comfortable.

As far as he was concerned, Wooyoung was his top priority. Even though his wounds hurt like hell, he just wanted him to be okay.

Yeosang hadn’t let go of San’s arm, unsure that if he did, San would collapse. Both of them knew he was in a delicate state, and honestly’ he was thankful to have someone next to him to prop him up right now.

Jongho stood nearby, his back resting on one of the pillars in his home, slurping away at his drink. “You know, I can tell you’re hurting.”

Yeosang tapped San gently. “You may want to sit down. I can try to heal you a little more, just so you’re comfortable enough.”

San didn’t want him to waste any more valuable time on him, but the pain was escalating the more he stood. He pulled out a chair from his dining table, and sat down, wincing.

“What’s your name?”

“O-Oh, I’m Yeosang. Seonghwa and I met San and Wooyoung in the caves. Wooyoung needed help healing San, and I was able to find them.”

Jongho hummed at the sound of their names. “Kang Yeosang and Park Seonghwa, correct?”

Yeosang nodded, though he looked confused on how Jongho knew them.

The blacksmith raised his eyebrow. “Ah, so you’re the sons of some of my parents clients. Are you guys adventurers as well?”

Yeosang fiddled with his fingers. “Yes.”

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. If you guys ever need some new arms, let me know. I’ll make you something half price.”

San nearly choked on his own saliva. “Half price? You’ve never made that deal for us!”

“Well for you, no. You’re the most reckless person in this damn village! How am I supposed to give you a weapon when it usually breaks after two rounds in those caverns?” Jongho snapped. 

San Shrugged. “It’s not my fault that the blade snaps sometimes.” 

Jongho’s red eyes began to glow. “It’s not that I don’t make durable blades. You just always remarkably find a way to break them.”

The wounded adventurer sighed. Yeosang was silently working on his wounded arms, moving gently as to try not to hurt San. It was easy to forget that the mage was there.

“Speaking of blades, did you bring mine back?”

San dug his free hand into the satchel slung on his side, and brought out his dagger, encased in the cushioned material he provided them.

Jongho gasped, reaching out to intercept the blade. San tossed it to him, and Jongho plastered a large smile on his face. “I can’t believe you didn’t break it.”

“Wooyoung said that you’d kill him if he didn’t return it, so I had to be gentle with it.”

Jongho shook his head. “Maybe I should threaten Wooyoung more in order for you to bring your swords back in one piece.” he said with a slightly devilish grin.

San frowned, but chuckled anyway. He knew he was a pain in the neck, so he was fine with that.

“San, I’m running low on mana. How are you feeling?” Yeosang suddenly chirped up, shuffling to the side of San, looking concerned.

“I should be fine, Yeosang. Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing, really. I tend to help everyone I think needs it, even if it means draining some of my resources.” He admitted with a shy smile. “Do you need anything else?”

San pressed his hand on his torso, feeling the little fuzzy healing magic running through him slowly. “Mm, no. I should be good.”

“Okay!”

Mingi slid into the room with them, with news that Wooyoung should be okay. All he needed was rest, and he’ll be fine. Though San refused, Mingi inspected his wounds and applied new bandages, telling him that he’d give him some medical herbs to dull the pain he was feeling.

Seonghwa and Yeosang left soon after Yeosang finished healing his new friend, leaving them with a number to contact them with. They discussed hopefully meeting up one day and forming an adventure team, which meant that they could possibly grow stronger together. They didn’t know each other well at all, but allowing them to collaborate in the caves would help them gain a relationship as friends and battle partners.

San had Mingi help him take Wooyoung home, so that he could rest in his own bed. His parents questioned what exactly happened, and San explained that he overexerted himself and that he should be fine after a good night’s rest.

They wanted to treat him to some tea, but he declined, saying that he needed to get home so he could rest as well. Mingi seconded that, informing them that his wounds were deeper and more extreme, and that only medication and rest would do the trick.

Mingi aided San walking back, as the sun shone on their backs. 

“You know, Wooyoung took the damn thing out by himself.”

Mingi choked. “What? Really?”

“Yeah… Yeosang told me he heard me scream and saw me unconscious and went to heal me while someone else was fighting the boss. The only one I could think of was Wooyoung, and that’s the only thing that made sense. If Wooyoung wasn’t in battle, he would’ve been by my side.” San said. “He beat him. He destroyed that fucking horrible thing. And I couldn’t help.”

Mingi watched as tears rolled down San’s cheeks. It was the first time that Mingi had seen him cry. “I feel awful. I wish I could’ve helped. Otherwise he wouldn’t have exerted himself that much. Why did I have to get hurt? Why did I have to leave him alone there?”

“He’ll be fine, okay? Please don’t beat yourself up about it.” Mingi said, rubbing his hand on San’s shoulder. “The bottom line is that he did it. He was able to pull through. That’s all that should matter. You two are brothers in arms. One protects the other. That’s how it’s supposed to go. You have to realize you won’t always be in the condition to always protect him.”

San always wanted to protect him; in or out of battle. It was his duty as an older brother, right? He needed to make sure nothing hurt him. But Mingi had a good point; he won’t always be able to do that. 

“Besides, I’m sure it felt great for him to finally be able to protect you with his magic. I imagine this made him stronger as a mage. So, keep your chin up.”

He never thought it would end this way. Of course, he never doubted Wooyoung and his abilities. He always knew deep down that he was stronger than he let off. But all he wanted to be was the support.

San cursed that rank. ‘The support’. Mages and wielders could be hand in hand, but in adventurer ranks, there was no such thing. Wooyoung was more than the support to him.

He was his hero.

**Author's Note:**

> this was just copy and pasted, so if i find any details i need to fix (such as typos, stuff like that) i'll go back and fix them
> 
> thank you for reading :D


End file.
